Latch



PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. AYARS, OF SALEM, NEV JERSEY.

LATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 560,888, dated May 2c,189e.

Application tiled February 25, 1896. Serial No. 580,713. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. AYARs, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Salem, in the county of Salem and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inDoor-Latches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved doorlatch.

The object of the invention is to provide a door-latch which will beoperative to unlatch and open the door by the act of merely pulling thehandle on one side of the door or pushing the handle on the other sideof the door.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which-Figure l is a horizontal section of the lat-ch parts in the engagedposition. This form is suited for a cupboard-door. Fig. 2 is a similarview, but shows the position of the parts when the latch is disengagedfrom the catch. Fig. 3 is an inside elevation of the latch. Fig. 4 is asection of the latch-case, showing the pivot-bearings. Fig. 5 is a Viewof the latch with two knobs. This is a form suited for any door.

The letter A designates a box or case for the several movable parts ofthe latch. This case has pivot-bearings b for the latch proper andpivot-bearings c for the retaining-bar.

' The case also has holes d for bolts which fasten it to the door. y

The latch F is pivoted in the case and swings to an inward position whendisengaged and to an outward-projecting position when engaged. Anopening a in the side of the box-case affords space for the latch toswing in and out. One face e of the pivoted latch is flat, and theopposite face gis curved, which curve intersects the said i'lat face,forming a curved point g. A lug or shoulder h projects from the curvedface near its heel end and forms a notch 7L', and a pivot or trunnioniis on each side. These take in the bearings b. A movable retainer-bar Jin the case has one end which enters the notch h and engages with theshoulder h of the latch, and thereby holds the latch in the lockedposition. This retainer-bar can be moved to withdraw its end from thenotch, and then the latch may tilt and disengage from the catch K.w Inthis instance the retainer-bar has pivots Z,

which take in the bearings o in the case, so

as to allow the bar a tilting movement. A spring m acts on the bar andtends to keep it 5 5 normally pressed, so that the end which engages thelatch may normally be in position to effect engagement whenever saidlatch is turned the proper way to admit of such engagement. Theretainer-bar may be operated 6o by a suitable handle, ring-pull, or knobof any material, so as to move said bar against the pressure of thespring m, and thus disengage-the latch F. When the latch is disengagedand the door opens, the latch will take the position shown in Fig. 2,its Acurved face'g being partly within the opening ce of the case, butits point g projecting.

A catch or keeper K, similar to those used for ordinary boX-locks, is tobe secured to the 7o frame of the door. This catch differs, however,from the ordinary catches in that it has a trip-plate n, which isparallel with the outer iiange-plate o, with which the catch F engages.The edge of this trip-plate n projects 7 5 farther than the edge of theflange-plate o. ln other words, the edge of the trip-plate on the framemust be nearer to the box-case A on the door than the said flange-plateedge. By this construction, when the door is swung 8o to close it, theprojecting point end g of the latch will pass the outer iiange-plate oof the keeper and strike the said projecting tripplate n thereof, andthereby the curved face of the latch will slide on the trip-plate andthe latch will be tripped or tilted to the locked position and whollyconcealed in the keeper.

Whatever form of handle is employed to move the retainer-bar J, theshank of said handle must project through a suitable open- 9o ing in thecase. In Fig. 5 the two knobs p p are attached to a shank q, whichpasses through the latch-case, and said shank is loosely connected tothe retainenbar. This shank does not turn,but has an endwise movement.Normally the spring m keeps the shank and two knobs pressed toward oneside. To unlatch and open the door, the knob IOO without departing frommy invention.

door said point end Will pass the said outer flanged plate of the keeperand strike the said I 5 projecting trip -plate theref, whereby thecurved face will slide on the trip-plate and thereby the latch Will betilted to the locked position and Wholly concealed in the keeper.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 2o in the presence of tWoWitnesses.

CHARLES I-I. AYARS. Witnesses:

WM. H. HAZELTON, I. OAKFORD AoToN.

